NEW DELHI, April 28. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has invited his colleagues in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to participate in a conference on international security which will be held in Moscow this year.

"I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security. This event has become an important venue for discussing the most critical military and political issues which is particularly pertinent under modern conditions," he said at a meeting of SCO defense ministers in New Delhi on Friday.

The Russian defense chief noted the importance of bolstering the role of the SCO "as one of the pillars of a new multipolar international system, the example of transnational relations based on equality and mutual respect and the observance of international law."

"It is necessary to maintain close coordination within the framework of the SCO and hold regular consultations on the issues of general security both in multilateral and bilateral formats," Shoigu said.